Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) Shares Acquired by Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc.

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS) by 268.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 152,699 shares of the construction company’s stock after purchasing an additional 111,208 shares during the quarter. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of Masco worth $12,045,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Masco in the 4th quarter valued at about $627,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth $122,144,000. Intech Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Masco during the fourth quarter worth $975,000. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp lifted its position in Masco by 14.3% during the first quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp now owns 542,096 shares of the construction company’s stock worth $42,245,000 after buying an additional 67,806 shares during the period. Finally, Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in Masco in the 1st quarter worth about $1,903,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.91% of the company’s stock.

Masco Stock Down 0.5 %

MAS stock traded down $0.41 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $77.91. The stock had a trading volume of 575,344 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,965,195. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.18. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $69.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $71.44. The company has a market capitalization of $17.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.00, a PEG ratio of 2.44 and a beta of 1.24. Masco Co. has a 1-year low of $47.66 and a 1-year high of $79.11.

Masco (NYSE:MAS) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The construction company reported $1.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $2.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.10 billion. Masco had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 602.39%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Masco Co. will post 4.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Masco Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 19th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 2nd will be given a $0.29 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 2nd. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.49%. Masco’s payout ratio is 28.43%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on MAS shares. Loop Capital cut their price target on shares of Masco from $79.00 to $76.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 25th. Robert W. Baird lifted their target price on Masco from $84.00 to $88.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 26th. Barclays upped their price target on Masco from $79.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Masco from $78.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of Masco from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $77.15.

Masco Company Profile

Masco Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes home improvement and building products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company's Plumbing Products segment offers faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, sinks, toilets, acrylic tubs, shower trays, spas, exercise pools, and fitness systems; brass, copper, and composite plumbing system components; connected water products; thermoplastic solutions, extruded plastic profiles, specialized fabrications, and PEX tubing products; and other non-decorative plumbing products.